This year’s public school third graders will be the first class that must demonstrate proficiency in reading to graduate to the fourth grade. Sean Richardson has the story.
Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

There were several legislative hearings at the state capitol yesterday and the focus was on the state’s high auto insurance rates. It’s possible we could see a special session early next year on insurance that will be filled with tort reform proposals.

As a result of a new law, we might see more mugshots released to the public. Shreveport Senator Alan Seabaugh authored a measure that repeals a law from 2022 that set parameters for what mugshots could be released. Seabaugh says the 2022 law had good intentions, but it became costly and time consuming for sheriff departments to determine which mugshots could be released based on the 2022 law that sought to restrict the release of mugshots….
Cut 10 (12) “…put it back.”

The Humor & Harmony Weekend kicks off today, hosted by rapper Curtis Jackson, better known as 50 Cent, in downtown Shreveport. Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser says this festival is exactly what’s needed to bring tourists to Louisiana during the summer months.
Cut 13 (12) “…slow time.”
The Humor and Harmony is a four-day event that features musical performances, comedy shows, classic car shows, plus after parties.

According to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, there are almost 78-thousand illegal school bus passes annually in Louisiana. State Trooper Eddie Thomas wants to remind motorists to halt when the stop sign on a school bus is out
Cut 7 (07) “…need to stop.”
Thomas says all traffic must come to a complete stop at least 30 feet away from the bus, but motorists heading in the opposite direction do not have to stop when it’s a four-lane road, with a physical barrier, a raised median or a continuous turn lane.

A new law goes into effect this school year that will hold children back in the third grade if they are not meeting reading requirements. Superintendent of Education Doctor Cade Brumley says this year’s third graders will be the first class that must demonstrate proficiency in reading to graduate to the fourth grade…
Cut 4 (10) “…and shared with teachers.”
If a student gets a “well below” score after three tests, additional tutoring will be available.

We might see more mugshots released to the public as a result of a new state law. Mel Bridges has the details.
Cut 3 (30) “…I’m Mel Bridges.”

The parents of a 19-month old killed in a police shooting has filed a lawsuit that names Lafayette Police, the city and others as defendants. The toddler died in the cross fire when officers responded to a domestic violence complaint last August. The lawsuit says police were notified children were present before the shooting started. Authorities say two officers were shot when John Nicholas opened fire on law enforcement and he’s been indicted on second-degree murder, five counts of attempted first degree murder and other charges.

Ponchatoula Police have arrested a 16-year-old boy for terrorizing two girls. Ponchatoula Police Chief Bry Layrisson says the 16-year-old had been contacting the victims through social media and phone calls, making threats such as…
Cut 12 (12) “…first day of school.”
The 16-year-old is now in the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center.

A new school year begins this week. State Police Trooper Eddie Thomas reminds motorists school zones are cellphone free zones…
cut 11 (11) “….free-zone”
Thomas says in school zones, motorists should make a concerted effort to minimize distractions, maintain an elevated level of alertness, and be mindful of children in the area.

With a 6-0 vote, the Mobile City Council approved funding for the Amtrack train service for two trains that will run round trip from New Orleans to Mobile with stops in Bay St. Louis, Gulfport Biloxi, and Pascagoula. Sean Richardson has the story.
Cut 1 (32) …I’m Sean Richardson.”

Greenfield Louisiana will not build an 800-million dollar grain export facility in St. John the Baptist Parish because of multiple delays in getting permits approved by the U-S Army Corps of Engineers. There are local residents who opposed the building of the facility.

It’s time for motorists to pay extra attention as kids return to school. Brooke Thorington has more
Cut 2 (30) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

The Ponchatoula Police Department has arrested a 16-year-old boy after he threatened to kill two female school mates. Police Chief Bry Layrisson says the suspect told other students that the two girls would not make it past the first day of school….
cut 13 (08) “…or not”
Layrisson says it’s the first time his department acted on a school threat before the school year began.

The Mobile, Alabama City Council has unanimously signed off on the return of passenger rail service that will connect Mobile to New Orleans with multiple Amtrak stops along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Southern Rail Commission Chairman Knox Ross expects service to begin early next year and funding will go towards making sure the train can move quickly between New Orleans and Mobile.,…
cut 7 (08) “….speed up substantially”
Ross expects a lot of passengers will use this service for weekend getaways.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries continues to seek the public’s assistance in the fatal shooting of whooping crane in south Louisiana. The large…endangered bird was shot down in Evangeline Parish near Mamou last January….
cut 16 (09) “…these birds
L-D-W-F’s Lt. Wendell Vaughn says there are around 80 whooping cranes in Louisiana. There’s a 12,500 dollar reward for anyone who can provide information that leads to an arrest and a conviction.

Governor Jeff Landry’s advice for parents who do not like Louisiana’s new law that requires the Ten Commandments to be displaced in every public school classroom. just tell the child not to look at it. Freedom of Religion Foundation co-founder Annie Laurie Gaylor calls the response inappropriate…
cut 5 (12) “…unconstitutional law”
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill will make the argument in federal court that the law can be applied constitutionally.

Colorado State University’s hurricane forecast team maintains its prediction of a well above-average hurricane season. Researcher Levi Silvers says the revised forecast anticipates 23 named storms, including 12 hurricanes and six major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher.
Cut 8 (06) “…relative to the average.”
This outlook is influenced by the unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic, which fuel storm development.

A $12,500 reward is being offered for information about the fatal shooting of an endangered Whooping Crane this past January in Evangeline Parish. Colleen Crain has more.
Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

Greenfield Louisiana will not build an 800-million dollar grain export facility in St. John the Baptist Parish because of multiple delays in getting permits approved by the U-S Army Corps of Engineers. The project was projected to create more than one-thousand construction jobs and more than 300 permanent jobs, along with 300-million dollar in state tax revenue.

The debate continues over whether the Ten Commandments should be displayed in every public school classroom from kindergarten to college. Attorney General Liz Murrill is fighting against a lawsuit that claims the state’s Ten Commandments law is unconstitutional.

The state argues the Ten Commandments are the foundation of our laws and among the reasons legislators passed the law was because of the uptick in juvenile crime and they felt this was one way to address it.
Cut 6 (13) “…rules matter.”
Freedom of Religion Foundation is one of the plantiffs in the case and Annie Laurie Gaylor asks should the seventh commandment be on display in classrooms…
cut 7 (10) “…what’s adultery”
A hearing in federal court on this lawsuit is scheduled for September 30th.

We are nine weeks into the 2024 hurricane season and there have been four named storms, but the Colorado State Hurricane forecast team still predicts this season will produce around two dozen storms. CSU Hurricane Forecast Team researcher Levi Silvers says sea surfaces temperatures are running well above average…
cut 9 (07) “…active season”
Silvers says there’s a 20-percent chance Louisiana will see a major hurricane this year.

A low-oxygen area where marine life struggle to live, also known as The Dead Zone, off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico is larger than average this year. LSU Oceanographer Professor Nancy Rabalais says efforts to prevent nutrients from getting into the Mississippi River that cause the dead zone have not been successful…
cut 12 (10) “…dead zone in the Gulf”
The goal is to reduce the dead zone’s average size to fewer than 19-hundred square miles by 2035, but this year its 67-hundred square miles making it the 12th largest dead zone in the 38 years of recorded history.

Governor Landry has a response to parents who oppose the state’s new law that requires the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public classroom starting January first…
cut 4 (09) “…look at it”
Co-founder of Freedom of Religion Foundation, Annie Laurie Gaylor calls the governor’s response inappropriate…
cut 5 (12) “….unconstitutional law”
A federal judge will hear arguments next month in a lawsuit that contends the displaying of the Ten Commandments in a classroom setting would violate the separation of church and state.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill filed a brief in response to the lawsuit, saying its premature because the Ten Commandments haven’t been posted in the classroom, therefore they can’t claim harm to children.

An updated long-range forecast continues to predict a well above-average hurricane season.
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

The Gulf of Mexico “Dead Zone” is larger than average this year. LSU Oceanography Professor Nancy Rabalais says it’s about 67-hundred square miles, roughly the size of New Jersey, and the five-year average is 42-hundred square miles. Rabalais says the dead zone is an area where marine life can’t live because of nutrient pollution from agriculture and wastewater that flowed down the Mississippi River…
cut 13 (05) “…going to happen”